An outdoor computing platform is defined that will maximize modularity to provide ease of configuration, maintenance, and technical upgrading. The computing platform may be deployed into harsh environments and it may be equipped with a variety of mission oriented modules. The platform will provide for simple module interchange and maintenance without exposing internal electronics to environmental elements.
The term Hyper-obsolescence is introduced, and defined as a problem created by rapid advances in electronics components and systems. Newer improved technology is only a short time behind the state of the art today. Many personal computer owners are aware of the phenomenon. Today""s technology is employed to produce another generation of improved technology. The Internet puts very fast linkages into the hands of engineers to define parts, locate services, and create prototypes. The new technology is then rapidly introduced to the market. Investors are aware of these factors within technology. In order to dispel the negative impact of Hyper-obsolescence in electronics systems a technological architecture is required that can accommodate updates within a modular system which incorporates a standard connectivity feature.
Early obsolescence is an obstacle to completing far reaching sensor systems supported by sophisticated computerized data fusion systems. A sensor architecture is needed that is sufficiently flexible to incorporate new technology as it evolves. Only in this way can we get enough time to build supporting computer software and communications systems to work with the sensors. The support systems need to remain operational over a longer span of time. This will allow time to develop an infrastructure and give the support personnel time to become proficient with all aspects of an engineering infrastructure.
The creation and development of large scale sensor systems that are supported by sophisticated computerized data fusion and presentation capability requires substantial time and financial investment. Anticipated benefits from data collection systems within which sensors and actuators are used are often never met due to short life cycles. The components inside sensors become obsolete very quickly. Batteries also become obsolete very quickly.
Software development undertaken to create sophisticated fusion systems to process data collected by the sensors must be accomplished very quickly to achieve targeted benefits. The short life cycle for sensor systems has been responsible for the failure to develop comprehensive systems. We do not have a system that is designed to adapt and accommodate changes and thereby remain technologically current.
To avoid hyper-obsolescence a modular architecture is needed that can integrate new technology as it becomes available. We could produce a survivable design by building elements of a sensor platform as interchangeable modules which are connected to a bus electrically. This platform is comprised of separate modules which can be connected to one another. Each module includes an internal communications bus which penetrates the module enclosure at the end of the cylindrical module. When the modules are interconnected the internal circuit boards of the modules are electrically connected via this same bus. The modules can be configured to include a variety of common bus standards. A serial bus is used for control functions while standard parallel buses are used for high speed computing. The modules use a standard mechanical interface for physical interconnection.
The modular architecture sensor and computing platform proposed herein provides a computing platform that can integrate new technology incrementally.
New technology will integrate well enough and long enough to allow time to develop a sophisticated communications, and data fusion system to collect data, organize it, and transport it to sponsors.
By providing an extended life cycle for a sensor system, better cost/benefit justifications can be made for developing specialized modules with which to improve system capabilities and thus provide a versatile and comprehensive collection capability.
Serious efforts are required to provide early detection of weapons of mass destruction which are being created by nations that have strong terrorist factions. With a common sensor support platform we can produce a solid deployment capability upon which many sensors can be supported. The cylinder like shape of this system produces a form that provide advantages in many ways. The aerodynamic shape is conducive to deployment as a projectile. There are many methods of launch and propulsion but the capability that is important is provided by the sensor head and computing power within the projectile. When in flight over factories a sample of the air can be made to detect the by-products created by production of illicit materials. When suspicions are high that troops may face chemical or biological weapons these sensors can be launched to pass over regions into which the troops are moving. The sensor can gather gases and particulate matter to analyze the environment and signal by radio frequency the results back to the sponsors of the test launch. The expendable nature of the devices is made feasible by the reduction in production costs that is gained by the manufacturing method that is disclosed later in this document.
There is a large benefit in having a standard interface at the connection points of the modules. Rather than diverse groups with separate incompatible designs for sensors systems a single standard which can accommodate any sensor type can be derived from this modular design. This concept has enthusiastic support by DoD groups that recognize the lack of a common technology that can stave off obsolescence and sustain a capability to develop responses to threats of nuclear, chemical, and biological attacks. This project has been under development for over five years and research into low power systems and methods have proven that long term deployment of the platform is feasible.
The platform can provide the communications and control capability for a variety of sensors sponsored by several agencies countering known threats. Using this method an agency need only invest and perfect the sensor head to detect the threat they are pursuing. Some biological sensors will require large investments and time to develop. These groups need not focus on a transport each time they want to test or deploy a new detector. The transport will be off the shelf. The transport will be regularly improved by replacing the modular internal circuit boards as needed. The end fittings will be held to the standard design. This platform will support all of the community and allow them to focus their energy and money on better techniques to sense the agents of the threat of biological, nuclear, and chemical terrorism.
FIG. 1 shows a modular sensor computing platform. Three modules are represented. When the modules are connected together an operational sensor/computing platform is created. The technology is scaleable to provide very small systems for sensor support to larger systems for community support. The versatility results from the goal of incorporating change readily.
By providing an architecture that supports modularity on a sensor support platform we can extend a sensor system""s life cycle, and subsequently improve the return on investment. The herein presented design will sustain an evolutionary program that can accrue long term value from initial and subsequent investments, and thereby justify an investment to develop a comprehensive data fusion capability. There are many benefits that could be derived from monitoring weather, temperature, biological hazards, chemical hazards, etc. The problem today is hyper-obsolescence preventing economy of scale production and inability to remain at the state of the art in transducers and batteries.
Accordingly several objects and advantages of my invention are:
(a) to provide a weather resistant modular architecture sensor and computing electronic assembly that is configured by attaching standard modules end on end to make an operational platform;
(b) to provide a cylinder shaped modular electronic computing platform;
(c) to provide a modular unit architecture that has male and/or female end fittings that are used to connect module units to similar modules;
(d) to provide a module for use within a modular architecture that has electrical contacts presented at end fittings with which to electrically and mechanically inter-connect modules when more than one module is joined together at the end fittings;
(e) to provide a cylindrical module that contains a bus on the interior cylinder wall, or in channels in the interior cylinder wall;
(f) to provide a parabolicly shaped air-brake that reduces the rate of descent of a modular platform when it is falling through the atmosphere and upon touch-down the air-brake structure is repositioned by the platform and utilized as an energy concentrator or antenna;
(g) to provide a modular platform wherein joined end fittings make water resistant seals for protecting internal electronic assemblies from external weather conditions;
(h) to provide circular circuit boards that are fitted with electronic contacts that slide into in-wall bus channels wherein the channels contain electrical and/or fiber optic tracks on the internal wall of the module;
(i) to provide circular circuit boards that have an opening at the center to provide an area that can be used as expansion space to accommodate various module hardware related to an application. This center opening is also used during automated manufacturing and circuit board alignment;
(j) to provide a weather resistant modular architecture that will enclose electronic sensing, communications, data processing, mass storage and internal climate control subsystems and thereby provide an outdoor computer for serving residence and business community users with services in a local area as well as connect them with wide area network services;
(k) to provide an architecture for constructing a sensor support platform that can accommodate improvements in batteries and sensor transducers by interchanging older technology modules with modules that include new technology and thereby prevent the need to routinely redesign and replace the system;
(l) to provide a module interconnection method that will produce a configuration capability which is a way of interchanging sensor heads and power modules to configure the modular platform for a specific data collection mission that can be fitted with the latest, most technologically correct sensor or actuator;
(m) to provide a bus structure that is present on the internal walls of a cylindrical enclosure that will integrate circuit boards, and thereby provide a modular architecture within a platform module which will accommodate exchange of circuit boards to create a modular capability within the circuit board enclosure.
(n) to provide a hybrid bus track in a bus structure of a modular electronics platform upon which electrical and light signals may both be passed to other module circuitry connected to the bus track, wherein the light passing portion of the bus track is coated with light reflective coating;
(o) to provide an electrical/fiber optic connector that mates with an electrical/fiber hybrid bus track which communicates information between the circuit board and the hybrid bus;
(p) to provide a cylindrical electronic module endpoint that will mechanically mate with an associated module and also electrically connect flat contact pads with spring loaded pin contact points on an associated module endpoint interface to provide a bus architecture between the modules;
(q) to provide a programmable, modular, portable platform that can be fitted with a variety of modules to customize the device to mission requirements;
(r) to provide a cylindrical, aerodynamically shaped electronics enclosure that can be dropped from an aircraft;
(s) to provide a circular circuit board that is provided with electrical contacts on the perimeter of the board and a hole at the center of the board which also has an index notch;
(t) to provide an end fitting dummy terminator to cover a modular end-fitting and seal it from dirt and moisture;
(u) to provide a modular computing platform which supports sensors and communications within a cylindrical enclosure assembled from modules joined together at endpoints where joined endpoints are sealed with an O ring and a metallic mesh gasket to seal out the elements and to seal the joint from the passage of electromagnetic energy generated internally, or may occur externally as the result of an electromagnetic pulse;
(v) to provide a power supply module for a modular sensor and computing platform that comprises a bus structure that will add power supply modules to a parallel power bus or a series power bus such that unanticipated power requirements can be accommodated and thereby supply special electronics with adequate voltages for applications;
(w) to provide a power supply module for a modular sensor platform that comprises a radioactive isotope to generate electrical power and to provide in addition, a fuel cell module, and a rechargeable battery module
(x) to provide a modular sensor and computing platform that comprises a unique binary coded address to which it will respond when addressed electronically;
(y) to provide a modular computer architecture wherein each module comprises a micro-controller with a unique address which communicates with other modules attached to a dynamically constructed bus which is modified by addition or subtraction of modules which contain bus elements which are compatible with other modules.
(z) to provide an innovative command selection device which when used within a human interface module or terminal module the obstacle of very small controls and large fingers can be easily overcome even while wearing gloves.
When deploying a modular platform, communications versatility can be provided by interchanging modules as appropriate. If an anticipated data gathering mission required a platform to provide compatible communications with older deployed systems it is possible for an appropriate module to be installed to provide compatible communications.
Upon building a system that provides an anticipated long program life many modules will be developed over time and will be added to an inventory of modules. Consequently it becomes easier to integrate the platform to co-operate with many existing deployed communications systems.
When a user of this architecture needs to collect specialized data from a field environment it is not necessary that a unique system be built to support his/her individual requirement.
A data collector can focus on finding the development of a better sensor module that closely meets his/her needs. He need not finance his own separate support system. He will therefore be free from developing a platform for communications and/or control and consequently allow him/her to make an investment to underwrite perfecting a sensor/transducer to detect the targeted data of his interest. This economy will result in better higher precision detectors resulting from more effective investment.
The modular architecture will provide a generic transport that will easily evolve and be useful to a large community over an extended life cycle. In this way a sustained investment that incorporates special modules, funded by special interests, can be maximized. We can develop cutting edge sophisticated mission specific capabilities that will ultimately be available to an entire user community. Recent terrorist activities are pointing out the need to monitor public areas for harmful chemicals and toxins. Improved sensor platforms are required to underwrite sensor research and development in universities and industry.
When using the modular platform a rapid response capability is derived. It is often difficult to predict the nature of data that will be required or become important in the future. When an unanticipated Ad Hoc requirement for data occurs, it is often true that little time is available to conceive, prototype, develop and test new systems to meet the requirement. Given the availability of a modular sensor and computing platform, the time needed to respond to newly defined mission requirements would be shortened significantly. Using this new technology at most only a transducer or detection module would need to be developed. The new sensor would be added to operate within the collateral sensor support program.
During the Gulf Crises an immediate need was realized to detect chemicals and biological agents. A need was also realized to monitor SCUD missile platform movement. Each of these needs could have been met quickly with the proposed modular platform. As it was we had no appropriate response capability which resulted in exposed personnel.
The Modular Platform is a rugged survivable platform. Field environments encountered by sensor systems are harsh. Electronic systems are vulnerable when exposed to environmental elements. Reducing exposure of sensitive electronics greatly extends the anticipated operational life of a system. Vibration, shock and mishandling can damage the integrity of joints, seams and welds. The joints of the platform are sealed with an o-ring and a metal mesh seal. This electronically sealed transport will withstand the Electorate Magnetic Pulse emitted by a nuclear explosion that destroys electronic devices. Metal sensor enclosures would not be penetrated by the EMP and would therefore remain operational after a nuclear event to provide important information about contaminations and other environmental data important to recovery operations.
The cylindrical architecture of this modular platform joins the modules in a way that will minimize seam lengths and eliminate corners. Traditional boxes are vulnerable to weather elements at seams where sides are joined together. The modules of this platform are hermetically sealed. Connections between modules are made using methods proven in underwater operations. O-rings and light grease lubricant provide water tight integrity and produce an underwater modular platform. Underwater detection systems may be easily produced to survive the pressure of deep water using the suggested architecture.
Another advantage is that damage from shipping and handling of a sensor platform is minimized, by placing the cylinders into bores within foam or other protective material. This simplifies logistic operations and enhances reliability.
Air deployment pods for the platforms will release these platforms directly from the blocks of protective material that have bored out cylindrical openings within which the cylindrical platform is shipped and deployed. The dropping can be manually accomplished or accomplished via programmed control. The ease of deployment of the cylinder shape is an important aspect of the design.
The internal boards and circuitry within the enclosure can easily be placed on an internal shock absorbing circular shaped base board. The opening in the center of the circuit boards is penetrated by an alignment post that the circuit boards may move to enhance the shock absorption as the boards compress the absorber in the bottom of the assembly. This will absorb the shock from impact with the earth or during any other shock related deployment method.
An option to deliver sensor collection systems from the air offers obvious advantages. The cylindrical shape of the modular platform is compatible with operations where the platform is being distributed from an aircraft. The platform assembly can be combined in the body of a sophisticated guidance structure if required. Air deployment requires consideration of damage to the platform upon ground impact.
Attaching a parachute to the platform will slow the descent of the platform to accomplish a soft landing but this does not provide the degree of precision that is desired. A parachute would also probably interfere with platform operation upon touch down, if it came to rest over the platform.
Descent braking is accomplished by a parabolic shaped airfoil over the platform. The parabolic may be in the form of a dish or a section of a parabolic dish. The parabolic shape is employed to derive a dual use functionality of air-brake during descent and an antenna or energy concentrator on the ground. This form of air-brake will not interfere with the data collection mission of the platform after it touches down. It will become an asset to platform operation.
A light material, pressed foam, is used to provide a rigid structure to function as an air-brake and airfoil as the attached platform falls through the atmosphere with the concave surface upward. Upon touch down the parabolic airfoil is positioned to a mission oriented attitude by platform actuators. It may be positioned to act as a collector, antenna or concentrator for the programmed data collection mission. A light metal film over the back surface of the foam structure provides the electromagnetic reflection surface when used as a parabolic antenna.
A more desirable descent control system would control the approach as well as descent to a landing site. If a smaller parabolic air-brake/airfoil structure is attached to the larger by a narrow brace the small parabolic provides a functionality that is similar to the tail section of an airplane and adds stability to produce a stable controllable package. This design was tested and found to be stable.
This parabolic structure uses a large parabolic in the front area and a small parabolic in the rear area. The functional placement of the large parabolic is as the main wing of an aircraft and the small parabolic is as the small wing of an aircraft. A small interconnecting shaft between the two is similar to the body section of an aircraft structure is controlled by platform actuators. To complete the descent control structure another airfoil is added to act as a rudder and vertical stabilizer. Control is provided by actuators and electronics within the upper module. The same actuators and control electronics are used, after touchdown, to position the parabolic and transform the functionality of the parabolic structure to an antenna or energy concentrator.
During descent the information needed to find the targeted drop site is collected and developed by an on-board module. To develop error correction data during descent a target sensing module at the bottom of a modular platform is active. This module is made of a transparent material which will allow light to pass through the module""s enclosure wall into the module. Inside the module an optical sensor detects light that indicates the landing target. The light that the optical sensor seeks is a light upon which to guide. The target sensing module will send data over the bus to the command and control module which will develop instructions that will then be directed to the descent controller.
The descent control module employs actuators directed by instructions provided by the command and control module which operates in combination with the optical sensor to adjust the attitude of the platform during descent to seek an intentionally illuminated touch down target site. The source of light being used to illuminate the touch down site may be provided in a variety of ways. In some cases the falling platform may emit a signal that when received by an associated platform on the ground turns on the landing marker light. This light source could be provided by another previously placed modular platform that was fitted with an illumination module that radiated light at a coded pulse repetition rate that the descending module would recognize and seek out.
The platforms Global Position Sensor can be used to establish very accurately where the platform lands. This information is provided to the computer for use during reporting.
Field service on the platform is simplified. Maintenance can be accomplished with little specialized training. During field operations if it is found that a modular platform is needed to provide a function other than what it is configured for, it is an easy matter to remove a module and replace it with another. Maintenance may be accomplished by inter-changing modules to detect failures in the field by substituting known good modules with suspected platform modules.
Software within the command and control module will recognize a sensor module type from the structure of its unique digital address and thereafter execute proper subroutines to integrate the module into the operational platform. The address will specify: a System, subsystem and module ID.